Health Centre Parenting Baby Health 8 Ways To Clear Your Baby's Blocked Nose And Things You Should Avoid8 Ways To Clear Your Baby's Blocked Nose And Things You Should Avoid
If you are a parent with a small child, you must have experienced having an irritable baby, because of a stuffy nose. Some babies naturally have an accumulation of mucus in their nasal track during the first 6 months of age, which is normal. However, it may disturb their sleep or make it difficult for the baby to breastfeed.
Babies can also have nasal congestion due to colds. For babies who have a lot of mucus, the infection can worsen the condition as this can make it hard for them to breathe.
Babies with a stuffy nose can show symptoms such as:
Audible noise during sleep or snoring
The baby's nose is stuffy and they tend to have noisy breathing
Lots of mucus coming out of the nose
Difficult to breastfeed
Fussy and cries a lot
Unable to sleep well
Coughing
Fast and frequent breathing (sniffling)
Take the baby to the clinic or hospital immediately if the baby has a fever, coughs, or difficulty breathing.
How to Relieve Your Baby's Nasal Congestion?
Babies with a stuffy nose will feel uncomfortable. They also will have some difficulties during feeding and sleeping, causing them to be irritable. This can be a vicious cycle as the parent also will be worried and unable to rest. Let’s follow our tips on ways to relieve your baby’s stuffy nose.
1. Mucus Suction Device or Nasal Aspirator
You can get this aspirator or suction device at any pharmacy or baby equipment store. This tool is very simple to use. However, it depends on the type. Read the leaflet properly before using it on your baby.
Typically, this device is used by squeezing the pump before inserting the suction tip into the baby’s nose. Make sure not to get too deep so as it will hurt your baby. Then release the pump and the mucus in your child’s nose will be sucked into this tool.
Some aspirator has a long tube that will need you to manually suck the tube, creating negative pressure and the mucus will drain into the container
2. Use Salt Water / Saline Rinse
These sprays or drops of saltwater are also called saline rinses can dilute the mucus in the baby's nose. This makes it easier for the mucus that clogs the baby’s nose to come out and relieves the baby’s breathing.
These drops or sprays are available at the pharmacy, avoid making the solution yourself as the had made mixture maybe not be suitable for your baby or may be contaminated. Read the user guide leaflet before using it on your baby. You can also use an aspirator after using this saline rinse solution to clean the mucus in the baby's nose.
3. Hot Steam Technique
Hot steam can dissolve the mucus in your baby's nose. However, be careful if you want to use this technique so that you or your baby do not get burned during the treatment process.
In addition to using steam from hot water, you can also do this technique by letting the hot water from the shower flow when the bathroom door is closed. After a while take your baby to this hot steam-filled bathroom and bathe him with warm water.
4. Use an Air Humidifier
Using a humidifier also helps relieve your child's stuffy nose. This device adds humidity to the air and facilitates dilution of the mucus in the nose. It also helps to keep the baby's sensitive nose from drying out easily which prevents irritation.
You can place this device in your baby’s bedroom or playroom to provide them relief from a stuffy nose. Drops of essential oils can also be added to some humidifiers which are also called diffusers.
5. Percussion Technique
Mucus or phlegm can also accumulate in the airways. To break the accumulated mucus, parents can use the percussion technique by patting the child's back with their hands.
The technique is done with cupping-shaped hands instead of with flat one. This doesn't hurt the baby. Do this when the baby is lying down with a soft pillow on the base of his stomach. Make sure your baby's nose is not covered. Percuss the baby’s back for 15 minutes.
Make sure you don’t do this after your baby feeding time, this can cause the baby to vomit.
6. Massage Baby's Face And Nose
Not only adults like to be massaged. Babies also love it. Massaging their face and nasal area can loosen the mucus in the nose and make it easier to come out. This helps soothe your baby's nose.
Massage can also be done gently on the abdomen, chest, back, legs and even hands to provide comfort and stimulate your baby’s senses. But remember baby's skin and body are more sensitive, don't put any oil or chemicals as it may harm your baby.
7. Make Sure The Baby Is Adequately Hydrated
Babies with stuffy noses may find it difficult to drink milk. Therefore, you need to make sure that your baby does not become dehydrated by breastfeeding your baby regularly.
Check their diapers to make sure your baby urinates. Babies who do not urinate may indicate a lack of water in their body. Please take your child to see a doctor if this happens.
8. Elevate Baby's Head While Sleeping
The sleeping position of a baby with a stuffy nose is also important for you to give them comfort. Babies who are left to sleep on their backs are usually more likely to have a stuffy nose. Therefore, elevate the baby's head with a pillow to reduce these symptoms.
You also need to raise the baby's head when feeding him so that your baby does not choke and breathes more easily.
Things You Should Avoid If Your Baby's Nose Is Clogged
1. Giving Honey
Honey is known to have many benefits. However, honey can contain bacteria called clostridium botulinum which can cause poisoning in infants. Honey is not recommended to be given to infants under 1 year.
2. Use Vapor Rub Or Balm
Most menthol or minty products contain ingredients such as camphor, eucalyptus or menthol that are harmful to babies and children. Babies who are poisoned by this substance can have seizures and cause death.
3. Giving Plain Water
Babies less than 6 months old can only drink breast milk or formula milk. Do not give plain water to babies under 6 months old. This can cause kidney damage and malnourishment.
4. Giving Cold Medicine Without Consulting a Doctor
Most cold medicines are usually not recommended for children under 4 years of age. Therefore, be sure to refer your baby or child to a doctor for appropriate treatment.
5. Exposing Children to Smoke
Even if your child does not have a cold or has a stuffy nose, exposing your child to smoke, especially cigarette smoke, can cause breathing and lung problems.
The important thing you need to remember when your child is sick or experiencing symptoms such as a stuffy nose is to take them to see a doctor as soon as possible so that their condition does not worsen. It is also important that you constantly monitor your child's condition and immediately take them to the hospital if there are any alarming signs such as shortness of breath and others.
Written By Sofia Farudz, MBBS Bch BAO, National University of Ireland, Galway on
Reviewed By DoctorOnCall Panel Doctor
